Jesse'ca Palmer and Ian Gonzalez

[00:07] JESSICA PALMER: My name is Jessica Palmer. I am 22 years old. Today's date is August 8, 2023. And I'm here at Hinesville library. And I'm here with my interview partner, Ian.

[00:21] IAN GONZALES: Awesome. My name is Ian Gonzales I am 26 years old. Today's date is August 8, 2023. We're at the Hinesville library. The name of my interview partner is Jessica, and, yeah, she's my interview partner. So, again, wanted to thank you so much for sitting down with me. I know we don't know a lot about each other, but sometimes that can help the conversation, because, you know, I'm kind of going in with totally a blank canvas and understanding of who you are. Would just love to hear a little bit more about where you grew up, how that, you know, how childhood was like for you and. Yeah, just kind of starting off there.

[01:05] JESSICA PALMER: Okay, well, do you know what the town called Hezbollah is?

[01:11] IAN GONZALES: I do not.

[01:12] JESSICA PALMER: Nobody knows nobody I've asked. So Hatzeba is a little town right outside of Augusta. It's in between the Burke county line and the Richmond county line. And I grew up there pretty much in the boonies, country hills, and farmlands. And so I'm natural country girl. I love it. Love the cows. Growing up there with three other siblings that are older than me, a mother and a father. My mother was a breadwinner, and in sort of a trailer slash mobile home. It was nice. I didn't think I was any less privileged than anybody else or any more privileged. I felt like I grew up in a comfortable space. But we did have some struggles that I've never really noticed growing up, such as with money and financial problems and also with property problems. I never knew that I was living on my uncle's property. I thought it was my father's property for the longest of time, but no, it's the other way around. So it's been a weird family situation ever since.

[02:29] IAN GONZALES: Cool. I have two questions about that. First of all, you said that you're kind of from the country. What does that mean to you? Do you feel really connected with nature? Do you feel like. What does that experience like for someone like me who were flying in from New York City?

[02:53] JESSICA PALMER: Oh, you're from New York.

[02:54] IAN GONZALES: Okay, cool.

[02:56] JESSICA PALMER: I've never been, but the country, it has its pros and cons. For instance, I do feel connected with nature. I love going outside and being around trees and bushes and rolling around in grass sometimes. But then we have bug epidemic going on where bugs are getting larger by the year. And so I typically stay in stores nowadays, but as a child, I love going outside. I love wandering the fields. It just makes you feel like, I don't know, it makes you feel free in a way. And the cons about it is, well, I am a black girl, and heat and sun does not do well on my skin. I get very, very, very dark, and it can give me rashes and stuff. So that's a con about it. And also with bug bites, stuff like that.

[03:53] IAN GONZALES: Yeah. For Chapin and I, it has been a bit of a. I don't know, a bit of a week with the heat. So you probably know all about it. Yeah. So I was curious. You said there were some family struggles. I'm curious only if you want to talk about it when you felt like you understood or when those things kind of felt like, you know, it seems like maybe later on in life you realized, oh, these things were a bit different. Could you maybe tell me about how it is that you realized that things were different and what those differences were?

[04:36] JESSICA PALMER: Yes. So it began pretty much in middle school for me when I start realizing more about my family's problems, because then my mother would open up to me. Because I was older, I became more mature. I showed my independence a lot more. Also, I was excelling in schools. That made her trust me a lot more. For some reason, when she started talking to me about all these family issues and whatnot, I started to get the sense that maybe we're not always okay, and I start to be a part of the family issue and give my opinions about it. But, of course, I'm a child. My opinions only matter for so, so much. But as I grew older and I started, like, doing my own things, such as with clubs and organizations and schools. I'll talk more about that in a minute. But I started to get more and more involved in it, such as with my uncle actually giving me the land, like putting my name on the deed of the land and whatnot.

[05:50] IAN GONZALES: Wow. Okay. Yeah, I'm curious. When did that happen and how did that happen? If that's something you want to talk about, and then we can maybe talk about the clubs. And I know you also wanted to talk about how you felt a little bit influenced to join the military. So do you want to start talking about the fact that all of a sudden you have land in your name?

[06:15] JESSICA PALMER: Well, how did that start? It? It started with my mom realizing that my dad is very irresponsible with the land and that it can be taken at any moment if he didn't continue paying the taxes. See, my dad was paying the taxes on the land. But it was in my uncle's name. It was so weird, the whole thing. So my mom was like, you should, like, make sure, like, ensure that this land stays in the family. So you need to talk to your brother and tell him that he needs to give this, like, put a name. Put one of our children on the deed and whatnot. And they chose me, the baby. Cause I'm the youngest, and I'm typically more mature than the other children. Not bashing my brothers and sisters.

[07:12] IAN GONZALES: Interesting. And was that at all an adjustment for you to all of a sudden have your name on the deed?

[07:19] JESSICA PALMER: It was. It just show. I don't know. I was very proud of myself in a way, because it just showed that, like, I'm very responsible, and I've always questioned myself on that. Like, am I really responsible? Am I really, like, you know, this mature, independent kind of person. Person that people typically see me as? Or are they just saying that just to say that? Right. But I feel like that proved that I can handle it, and. Wow.

[07:53] IAN GONZALES: So do you feel like you were kind of. That a lot of people told you you were responsible, and you were trying to process that information while still inside, thinking about if you were responsible or nothing? Does that make sense? Like, were you hearing people talking about how you were responsible all the time, and then you had to think about it in your own mind? Wait, am I responsible? Am I as responsible about the people around me? Is that what.

[08:16] JESSICA PALMER: All the time. I'm always questioning myself. I'm always, like, doubting myself. I'm always criticizing myself. I'm very critical of my own being.

[08:27] IAN GONZALES: Interesting, interesting. So how's the land doing now?

[08:36] JESSICA PALMER: Well, my immediate family, they're still living on it. So my mom is trying to move off the land, and I'm thinking about selling it after they move. Cause I don't really like the land all that much. Even though that's my childhood land, that's my childhood home. It's changed over the years. The soil is bad. They cut all the trees down for some reason, and it's just. It's in a bad part of the boonies.

[09:06] IAN GONZALES: Okay.

[09:07] JESSICA PALMER: So I'm thinking about just selling it and using that money to either get my own place, I'm living in an apartment now to get my own, like, land and home and whatnot, or something else.

[09:22] IAN GONZALES: Cool. Cool. So I wanted to ask you about how you ended up deciding to go to the military. You used the word influenced. I'm curious if it felt like your own decision or if there were other factors sort of that were encouraging you into that decision or a mixture of everything?

[09:43] JESSICA PALMER: It was a mixture of everything, just about. But it was mainly. It was mainly like familial kind of thing. So with my siblings, they've all of them, they're all ordered to me, by the way. They've all joined JroTc. You know what that is?

[10:03] IAN GONZALES: Yes.

[10:03] JESSICA PALMER: Cool. Cool. So they've all done it.

[10:06] IAN GONZALES: And maybe can you just explain to folks who are listening what it is?

[10:12] JESSICA PALMER: It's a. It's basically a military program that starts in high school from 9th to 12th grade that you can join. That preps you for your military career if you want to join the military and whatnot. It does all the basic kind of training, such as guidance in marching, how you supposed to be dressing, participating in PTA, which is physical training and whatnot, stuff like that.

[10:47] IAN GONZALES: Cool. Cool. So, yeah, anyways, thank you. If we could go back to how that decision came about to join the military.

[10:58] JESSICA PALMER: So I felt that it was my duty to continue the whole generational thing of joining GRtc because my siblings done it. So I joined. I, and I joined in my 9th grade year, and it was something that I've never experienced before. Order, structure, playing as a team, you know, it just. It was so much fun in a way. It was different, and I loved it because I love structure, I love orderliness. And. I don't know, I got really good at it. And my first year, I became a flight sergeant. I was in the air force GRtc. I became a flight sergeant over my entire flight, and I took control of it mainly all the time. And I got awards. I've got ribbons. It was enlightening in a way, and so I. In a. In a way, I was like, military. Hmm. It's kind of. It's kind of not all that bad, but I should have known. Like, the military and JRTC are two different things. GRTC is something that kind of preps your mindset for it. It doesn't really prep you in a way of long term. Right. Like, for a long term career, like, say, 20 years, but it preps you for, like, starting it, like, your mindset, like, before basic training and AIT training. But I did my whole four years in GRTC from 9th to 12th grade, and I ended up becoming the corps commander, which is the highest rank in GRTC program for my school, Burke County High School. And I was super proud of myself. Yeah. So I don't know. That was the major influence of me joining the military.

[13:02] IAN GONZALES: I'm curious, you said you felt like you were really good at it, and clearly you were if you ended up being the corps commander. Is that what it is? What does that look like, being good at that program? What are those skills? And do you feel like those are just kind of natural to who you are, or are those things, things that you've had to learn?

[13:23] JESSICA PALMER: I feel like. I feel like it was always there in me to be, like, a natural born leader. I just had to shed my shell by being around the right kind of people. Right. Cause middle school, elementary, and I guess you could say primary, but, you know, you're pretty young then. But once you're, like, around a certain group of people at that age, you take in a. You take in a lot of influence from them. But once you get to high school, you start to branch out in maturity and your mindset starts to clear up a bit, you know, hormones and stuff. Right. And you start to listen to adults more and find that niche, that. That part of you that is exploited through trying out things. And I tried out JRTC and I found my niche.

[14:25] IAN GONZALES: Cool. And was that a big decision, to transition into the military from that program? Because I guess those are two very different things, as you were talking about. Or was that kind of easy? Like, hey, look, the military is just the next step here.

[14:41] JESSICA PALMER: Yeah, it was easy, actually. Quite too easy, to be honest. But like I said, JRTC, it preps you for starting your military career, but it doesn't prep you for, like, long term kind of say. But towards the second half of my 12th grade year, senior year, I was approached by a recruiter and he asked me, he was like, do you want to join the military? I was like, I don't know. I kind of, kind of do. And then he told me all the benefits of it and paying for my school because I wanted to still go to school. I am in school right now. I'm at Georgia Southern University, Statesboro. And it's just. I don't know, I was like, okay, it sounds too good to be true, honestly. But I signed up, I joined, and by time, the end of my summer, after I graduated high school, when I came back from my cruise, I was ready to go and I did meps. Meps is like the end processing where they get all your identifications and stuff and your blood work done before you go on to basic and eit. I did one semester of college for freshman year, and then I. I went to basic at Fort Jackson in the spring, starting January.

[16:10] IAN GONZALES: Wow, that is a really busy couple months.

[16:13] JESSICA PALMER: Yes, it was talk to me about.

[16:15] IAN GONZALES: That whirlwind, if you don't mind. Like, first of all, where'd you go on a cruise? We gotta circle back to that. And then starting college and then going and doing. Starting your training. Was that a whirlwind? Were you able to. How'd you feel in that time?

[16:31] JESSICA PALMER: So, right after graduation, I was already set up for my meps appointment after my cruise. Right. So during my cruise, I was very anxious. I was like, oh, my gosh, this is happening. Whatnot. I couldn't really stay focused. I couldn't really have fun the way I want to. For my cruise. I went to the Virgin Islands, some of the Caribbean. I went to Puerto Rico and Key west. Yes, Key west. And it was pretty fun. But I just had that nagging feeling in the back of my mind, like, oh, my gosh, this is happening. I'm gonna join the military. I'm gonna go to mips. Ah. I was super excited. But then when we got back, I had gained some weight. Cause of cruise food. Never overeat on your cruise. Okay. So I had to start losing weight. Cause if I'm too overweight for my height, I won't pass meps and I won't be able to go to basic ait. Yeah. So I tried the keto diet. If anybody knows about Keto, it works. It works.

[17:46] IAN GONZALES: Really, it does.

[17:47] JESSICA PALMER: It works. You just gotta stay faithful to it. Cause some people like to do cheat days. Don't ever do cheat days. Don't ever do cheat days. So Keto work for me, I didn't have to work out. I also advise nobody to do hardcore workout for keto diet because you don't get that much energy to work out like that. Maybe walking, walking and, like, some. Some cardio, but nothing else.

[18:19] IAN GONZALES: Wow. Wow. That totally makes sense to me, not being able to fully relax during the cruise. It's always hard for me to feel relaxed when I know a transition's coming, you know? And how was it like doing that first semester of college, knowing that another transition was coming?

[18:39] JESSICA PALMER: So after the meps in processing, I started college, and it was like a whole nother world. It was a public college. I had the whole campus feel right. You get to walk on campus, go to your classes and stuff. I didn't have not one online class. And if anybody has ever been to Georgia Southern campus in Statesboro and saw it the first time, you will fall in love. I did so many tours before starting that college. Cause I just couldn't get enough of it. It's so much to explore. And so that first semester was nice. It was very nice. As a freshman, I got to meet so many people. I wanted to join so many clubs, but I know I couldn't. Cause I was starting basic soon. And the only thing that was not good about that first semester was my roommate.

[19:39] IAN GONZALES: Oh, no.

[19:41] JESSICA PALMER: Yes. My roommate. I don't remember her name, but she was. She made me so angry all the time because she would leave, leave stuff in the sink, leave trash outside of her door, and her door was right beside mine in the hall and stuff. And so I would smell it through my own door in my room. It was the disgusting. She left hair in the sink, on the toilet. I don't know how you do that in the shower. I don't know how that happened on the toilet, but in the shower and the sink. I get it. But toilet? Come on. Now.

[20:20] IAN GONZALES: I feel like that is just, like. I don't know. I definitely have my college roommate stories as well. And I. For some reason, I feel like that's like a rite of passage, you know, that. That will help you down the line somehow, having that experience, maybe with patience or just getting, you know, used to people. But I'm curious, so.

[20:48] JESSICA PALMER: Can I ask a question?

[20:49] IAN GONZALES: Yeah, go for it.

[20:50] JESSICA PALMER: I'm just wondering, Jessica, do you have a specific moment from that first semester? Semester? Maybe like, a class you took or, you know, some sort of fun college memory that you remember most from that time that you can tell us that? Actually, yes. I wouldn't call this fun for everyone. It wasn't fun for me at first, but it turned out fun in the end. So since, because I'm in college and the military is going to pay for my college, I have to also join ROTC. And it was army ROTC for Georgia Southern. So the army ROTC there at the very beginning was great. It was so great for my freshman year. One day, we was doing pt early in the morning. It was like 05:00 or something, and we had to do a battalion run. A battalion run is when everyone, everyone in the organization runs for, like, I don't know how many miles. It felt like forever, but we ran all around campus. So when we started running, I was fine and whatnot. But I've always known I'm not the best of runners. So I started lagging behind, and then they had turned down a road, and they were making sure none of the cars would come through. And I was like, the last one, I was so behind, and I was trying to keep up, and all of a sudden, I hear my battalion commander yelling from behind. Either he was like, get off the road or catch up with the rest of the people. I was like, lord, let me go. And so I sprinted. I'm a great sprinter. Like, short distance sprinter. I just can't do long runs like that. But I sprinted forward, and I just felt like I wasn't going fast enough, like I wasn't catching up. Then all of a sudden, I hear these tapping sound behind me. And right next to me in, like, less than 3 seconds, was the. Was the battalion commander. He was beside me. He was like, keep going, keep going. Don't stop. Keep going. I was like, oh, my God. I was in shock. I was like, he's literally running with me. And I never thought, like. Cause I'm a freshman and I'm new and stuff, like, he doesn't know me. Like, I'm one of the runts, right? But he's running with me. He has such a great reputation. His name is Lieutenant Colonel Montgomery. I don't know if he's still a lieutenant colonel now, but he was Lieutenant Colonel Montgomery then. But, yeah, he, like, he inspired me. I ran so fast, I kept up with him, and I was so surprised with myself. And in that kind of mind frame, that kind of mindset, when you get that inspired and you just start doing the impossible, you start imagining yourself, like, battling with your worst fear. And for me, my worst fear was being attacked by demons. Right? Because I had sleep paralysis. And. Yeah, yeah, that's the thing. And I imagine myself slaying these demons with this, like, Alexander's sword, and I'm still running through them. It was like a video game to me. But then I caught up with the rest of the battalion, and I kept up for the rest of the run. Cause I had that much adrenaline and inspiration in me. And that right there, it even motivated me more to want to do this basic training and start it. And that's why I even kept in. I stayed in because I did thought about, like, you know, maybe this isn't for me. But right then and there, I was like, this is for me. This is definitely for me.

[25:10] IAN GONZALES: Were you imagining those demons as you were running?

[25:13] JESSICA PALMER: Yes. Yes. It was awesome. It was like on a trip on a high.

[25:20] IAN GONZALES: Wow. And was that something you activated, or is that something that just came to you?

[25:24] JESSICA PALMER: It just came. Like, I feel like everyone pretty much experienced it one and one moment in their life when they're, like, at the worst in their lives, but then all of a sudden, you get a boost of something of, like, either adrenaline, inspiration, motivation, something. And then you just do it. And you do it through defeating your worst fear, like imagining it.

[25:51] IAN GONZALES: Wow. Did you feel. Did you feel more comfortable with the fear after that? Would that fear specifically?

[26:01] JESSICA PALMER: Yes, until after basic and ait. And then I started having really bad sleep paralysis. But we'll get to that later. Cool.

[26:10] IAN GONZALES: Cool. Okay. Yeah, I mean, maybe we can. We can go into AIt and that. Unless there's anything else in college you wanted to talk about.

[26:20] JESSICA PALMER: Nah, just the root roommate. But we'll keep it going. We'll keep it going.

[26:25] IAN GONZALES: Yeah. Cause we have around, like, 15 minutes or so left. Okay. So you just wanna make sure that you're getting through what it is that you wanted to talk about. So if we transition to AIT, does that make sense?

[26:38] JESSICA PALMER: Yeah.

[26:38] IAN GONZALES: All right, let's do it.

[26:39] JESSICA PALMER: Well, I did AIt after basic.

[26:41] IAN GONZALES: Oh, okay.

[26:42] JESSICA PALMER: Yeah. And AIT is advanced individual training, which means that you're training for your mos then, like, your actual military occupation.

[26:52] IAN GONZALES: Okay.

[26:54] JESSICA PALMER: Mine was a 35 fox tribe, which is an intelligence analyst. So that's what I am right now. But going back to basic. Basic is for, like, everyone. Right. It's just basic training. Right. So my first week, there was hell on earth. I hated it. I went to go home and I. It just. It just wasn't. It just wasn't what I thought it would be. But I shouldn't have thought it would be easy. Right? But it got better gradually.

[27:30] IAN GONZALES: What was the. What was the hell on earth aspect to it? Was. Were you. Was it a lot of physical work all day?

[27:38] JESSICA PALMER: Yes. Every day was PT, except for. Except for Sunday. Sunday was prayer day.

[27:45] IAN GONZALES: Wow.

[27:46] JESSICA PALMER: Yeah. And every day was PT. And we just kept doing just physical things like carrying sandbags for no reason, rucking everywhere and just for no reason. And getting smoked. Smoke is when you get punished by either some kind of physical activity, like push ups, freaking. That sitting squat position thing where you had to, like, just sit there and your abs are like, crying. But, yeah, especially the females. The females, they got smoked so much because they kept touching each other. That's another thing. Fraternization is a no no in the military, but, yeah, had a lot of that. I met my best friend. Oh, go ahead.

[28:37] IAN GONZALES: I was just going to ask. And then I want to hear about that. Is there, when you think back to that experience, is there an exercise or a moment that was the lowest of the low, was like holding that wall sit or plank or something. Do you remember a moment that was like the worst physical experience?

[28:57] JESSICA PALMER: Yes. It was raining, so I went to Fort Jackson and that sound. South Carolina. Yeah, South Carolina. And it rains every day there, I swear to God. And we were in the mud, and I, we had to do push ups in the mud. My face, my face was so muddy by time I got done. And my whole. My clothes, they were full of mud. There was mud in places should never be in. And I felt the skin. And they didn't even let us shower afterwards. They made us do something else. And I was just. I was miserable. My hair was miserable. My face, my body, it was just tiring. But, yeah, that was the worst.

[29:42] IAN GONZALES: Thank you. Thank you. I wanted to circle back about the friend you made that you were just talking about.

[29:49] JESSICA PALMER: So I've met my best friend, my best friend. Now her name is Rapu. That's her last name. I'll keep her first name anonymous. But Raphu, she who, she made me very concerned about her in basic. And ait she did came with me to Arizona, Fort Huachuca for AIT. But during basics, she made me so much so worried about her because she likes to have a polygamous relationship and she likes everybody, and she just, she could get in so much trouble. And she almost did. She almost got caught. But I helped her out just because I'm her friend. I'm her bestie. But there was one point in basic that I almost got into a fight with a girl. Cause we. I was in a shower, one of the hot showers, and she wanted me out. And I was like, you got to wait. Cause I get dressed within the shower. I don't like to get dressed in front of other people. I'm. I just don't like doing that. And so she was like, all right, Palmer, don't make me come in there. I was like, you can come in here if you want. And everybody got quiet in the bathroom. And she was like, you know, I'm playing. I'm playing way. Sure you are. You could come in, but it be things like that with females. And we always get smoked because of that kind of stuff. And I feel like we should. We should be looking out for each other. Like me and Rapu, we always look out for each other because we're best friends. But I feel like that should be with everyone.

[31:35] IAN GONZALES: Yeah, totally. Is there a moment with Rappu that you all of a sudden decide like, wow, she's my best friend?

[31:42] JESSICA PALMER: I don't know, because it just happens so naturally. We're two days apart, for one. We were born the same year. We like all the same things. It just happens so naturally. That's. I think that's why she, like, she made me her godmother, her baby when she had one, so, yeah.

[32:03] IAN GONZALES: Wow. What was that like?

[32:04] JESSICA PALMER: I was like. Because I told her before. Before she even had kids. I told her, I was like, I'll be your godmother when you have kids. But it has to be later on in life, like, when I'm. I'm able to give them things, like, give them money, gifts, anything or whatnot. When I'm able to provide, because I'm still in college, I'm still working on my career, you know, I don't have it all right now, but then one year later, she wants to have a baby, and I'm like, uh. And she expect me to buy $1,000 stroller. I'm like, I can't do that. That's more than my rent. What are you doing? But, I mean, I love her, and I love. I love the baby. It's a boy. He's gonna turn one in two more days. I'm.

[33:00] IAN GONZALES: Could you just repeat like that you love him and that he's gonna turn one in two more days.

[33:05] JESSICA PALMER: I love the little boy. He's gonna turn one in two more days. She's a great mom. She's a great mom, but she has her moments, but I'm there to support her.

[33:19] IAN GONZALES: Wonderful. So we have a few more minutes. I wanted to talk about deployment and then how you met your partner, so. Yeah. Could you give us an update of where you are in deployment?

[33:35] JESSICA PALMER: So I was going to get deployed for my unit. We're going to Iraq next year, starting. Well, it's starting in December, but for December through March, we're going to be still in America training before we go to Iraq for the rest of the year. However, since I kind of was like, I don't really want to go, somebody found me, and they wanted to trade places with me, and so now I don't have to go to Iraq, but I still have to go to the three month training here in America. So, yeah, that's. That's happening. I'm super. I'm super excited about it because I really didn't want to go, but maybe one day later, I'll go to another deployment that is less hot, less sand, less everything, less hostile? A little bit, but, yeah. So, yeah, I'm excited for the training, though.

[34:34] IAN GONZALES: Cool. Is that gonna. Is that gonna be here in Georgia or somewhere else?

[34:38] JESSICA PALMER: Somewhere else.

[34:38] IAN GONZALES: Oh, yeah. You said where it maybe snows a lot, right?

[34:42] JESSICA PALMER: Yeah. Fort sill and Fort Bliss. Fort Bliss, I think, is in Texas.

[34:46] IAN GONZALES: Okay, cool. Cool. So I wanted to ask about how you met your partner, Laura. And you told me maybe you're gonna get married soon. Is that right?

[34:56] JESSICA PALMER: Yes. Oh. Because he's always talking about it. And he already said that he. He's gonna buy an engagement ring. And I'm like, okay, you. You do you boo. So how I met him. I met him at the armory, the Savannah armory. And I had no interest in him, like, at all. He didn't either. Like, we were just gonna just be friends and call it a day. However, this past, sorry, not advance annual training, it was about three weeks. And a couple of days out of that three weeks, we were in the field. During that whole entire time. He was always around me. I was always around him. And we just started bonding and seeing our common interests in things. And then after Daniel training, he wanted to go out. He wanted to hang out and wanted to go to the movies and stuff. We watched. What do you watch? Oh, yeah, we watched that new Spider man movie, the. Into the spider verse, I think. I think, yeah. So we watched that, and I guess he got a good vibe off me. Cause he was calling the next day and wanted to hang out again. And so he showed me around downtown Savannah. I've never really been downtown Savannah. So we took a little tour and stuff. I held his hand and whatnot. And, I don't know, one thing led to another and we're not together.

[36:29] IAN GONZALES: I'm curious what you guys bonded over and what you have in common in the fields and more. Like, do you think that being in the fields was also really important to your bonding? Was that an intense experience where, like, definitely, you maybe could have met your life partner?

[36:45] JESSICA PALMER: Definitely. Cause in the fields, it was miserable. If anybody ever been to Fort Stewart and during the summer, you would know it would be miserable. Cause there's mosquitoes and stuff, and they are relentless. So for the field, like, he brought me up my show. I'm usually very reserved and I'm observant. I don't really talk much to people because I'm trying to get the feel of people first before I make a friend. But I don't know how he broke my show. He just did. But we found out we were both goofy. We were just goofy people. And we were hard workers, too. And people always downplay him as some lazy bum and whatnot. Because he. He does what he came there to do and nothing extra. He leaves. Like, he done his job. He leaves. That's me. I do my job. I leave. If you ask me to do something else, yes, I'll do it. But if you didn't ask me, I'm going to go. But we have that in common. And we also love anime and gaming and all kinds of stuff. It just. It just all meshed into one. And we love the vibe that we give off from each other. And I don't know. I'm the only one out of all the people there that really gave him a chance to be a friend. Yeah. Jessica, can I just ask, just because you were mentioning earlier that you kind of said you never wanted to date a military guy. Oh, my God, yes. I've never, like, I swore to myself before joining the military that I will never date, marry, be in some kind of relationship, except for friends with a guy from the military, because typically they're very strict. They're very, you know, tunnel vision. And I just. I just can't. I just can't have a sergeant as a boyfriend. But turns out that's gonna be happening pretty soon because he's gonna get promoted from specialist at sergeant. But he's not like that. He's not controlling tunnel vision or whatnot. He's very laid back, and that's what I need in my life, needs somebody that's laid back, because I'm always uptight.

[39:13] IAN GONZALES: Is that what you love most about your bond and relationship?

[39:16] JESSICA PALMER: Yes. That we can be opposites in the best kind of way.

[39:21] IAN GONZALES: Wow. How so?

[39:24] JESSICA PALMER: In. In a way, like. Like, he. He just. Okay, he doesn't do responsibility. Right. Okay, he's not very responsible, but I am. And when I am, like, he knows, like. Like, I get stuff done. And he likes that part of me. He likes that I'm the planner. I'm the one that go get the stuff and whatnot. And he likes that I make him do things, but in a very respectful manner. Right. I don't just be like, hey, go get this. Yeah. I'm like, hey, we need to, like, you know, start doing this or something like that. Like I be suggesting, and he's like, oh, yeah, yeah, yeah, we should do that. And he just. He just likes that I'm an idealist in a way.

[40:11] IAN GONZALES: Wow, awesome. So, I don't know. You just use the word responsible again. And that's kind of how we started this whole conversation, is with you sort of talking and working through how responsible you feel you are. And now we've talked about basic ait, college, going on a cruise, meeting a partner, you know, potentially moving forward with that partner towards marriage.

[40:42] JESSICA PALMER: Yeah.

[40:43] IAN GONZALES: How do you. How do you feel. I mean, it sounds like, how is the. How is the responsibility? Sort of. How is that conversation happening in your. In your brain right now? And where are you at with that?

[40:54] JESSICA PALMER: I am literally living my best life right now. But it's so bizarre because not too long ago, I was in the. I was in a bad shape because I was trying to. Trying to get into shape. First of all, because I needed to pass a PT test, upcoming PT test, and I wanted to get this promotion. I wanted to do all of this. I just got transferred to this unit back in November. So it's still fresh. It's still fresh. But now I'm, like, relaxed. I'm like, this is good. This is a good place to just kind of chill, unwind a bit and stuff. I don't have drill next month, so just take some time with your boo thang and with everything else, plan a little bit ahead, because now my plans are kind of unfolding a little bit, unraveling, because now I'm not going on deployment, so I have a lot more extra time on my hand. So what am I going to do at that time? I don't know. I got a plan. I got to think about things, but I'm going to take my time with that.

[42:04] IAN GONZALES: Yeah. Absolutely. Awesome. Well, thank you. I guess if I could ask just one final thing of just what do you hope for the future? I know you were talking about how it's a little uncertain, but you're happy with right now. What do you hope for? Even if it's just a feeling, I.

[42:25] JESSICA PALMER: Hope that my life continues on this path. Because before, I did not want to get married. I did not want to have a boyfriend. I did not want to have kids. I did not want to do anything. Okay. Now I want to get married. I want to have a house. I want to leave Georgia. I want to leave the US. I want to travel. I want to have kids, two to three, seven. I want to adventure. Like, I don't want to stay in one place for too long, but, yeah, that's what I pretty much hope for.

[43:03] IAN GONZALES: Wonderful. Well, thank you so much. This is wonderful. Yeah, thank you.